And Sometimes Seeing Isn't Always Believing
by beedivine
Summary: She looks back at the mirror and her heart nearly shatters. Because Lily Luna has a secret, and it's -  shining, glowing, taunting - right in front of her eyes. Written for the Those Voices The Mirror of Erised Competition.


**A/N:** This was written for PrimroseAmelia's Those Voices The Mirror of Erised Competition. The character I got was Lily Luna Potter.

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. The 'seeing is believing' quote comes from a movie (I think it's _The Santa Clause_, but I'm not positive).

_And Sometimes Seeing Isn't Always Believing_

She has a secret; perfectly open Lily Luna who has nothing to hide. She's an open book; anyone can see that with a simple glance in her direction – emotions splayed across her face, eyes wide open. If there has ever been a pair of eyes that could be looked into and, as clear as day, show back a person's soul, then it was her eyes – hazel brown and wide, wide _open_.

The secret is kept hidden away, smashed _downdowndown_, and she's almost got herself convinced that it isn't true.

(But she _has_ a secret, no matter how hard she tries to ignore it.)

When she walks into the empty classroom, she sees the mirror, taller than her fourteen year-old self, with its elegantly gilded frame. She can't help but walk forward, running her slim fingers along its edge – because she's always been curious (to a fault), and she never would have guessed that just looking into a mirror could cost her so much.

Her eyes shift, looking directly into the mirror – and what she sees makes her gasp, makes her heart freeze, because she knows she's _alone_. She blinks her eyes, she looks again, but the picture isn't changing. She turns around: emptyempty_emptyness. _

She looks back at the mirror and her heart nearly shatters. Because Lily Luna has a secret, and it's (shining, glowing, _taunting_) right in front of her eyes. _Teddy_.

(TeddyTeddy_Teddy_.)

Teddy. Tall and leonine, shining eyes and indigo hair. He's standing behind her, with his arms wrapped around her, his head resting on her shoulder. As she watches, he turns his head and presses a kiss to her cheek. He gazes at her with a look she's seen time after time – a look that she's been dreaming she would see directed at _her_.

But it never is directed at her – always at _perfectbeautifulsmart Victoire_. Victoire with her long silky blonde hair (compared to Lily's scraggly strawberry curls). Victoire with perfect grades and witty comebacks. Victoire who everyone just _lovelovesloves_. (And damn her for being part Veela. As if the odds weren't already stacked threateningly high against Lily without adding that poisonous cherry on top.)

Victoire who happens to be her favorite cousin – and at the same time, the person she hates more than anyone in the world. But she's not jealous, not at all –_ it's all part of her secret._

Lily stares in the mirror, watching her every hope, her every dream, (her only chance at true happiness) as it plays out in front of her eyes. She wants to stand there forever, she wants to forget the world – forget Victoire and the ring on her left hand that she flaunts every chance she gets.

They say seeing is believing, and she wants to believe, she wants desperately to believe. But the sound of a door quietly opening behind her is like a gunshot to her mind, shattering, breaking the perfect picture in front of her.

"Lily, Lily." She hears the voice and she wants to ignore it, but it's insistent. She feels arms go around her, pulling her gently away. The mirror is the only thing that has her attention, and she doesn't even realize that she is walking further and further away from it until the door closes, blocking it from her view.

"Lily," the voice says again, and she finally looks up to see who still has their arms around her.

Sad, gleaming blue eyes meet her own. Lorcan. He lifts a hand to wipe away the tears that she didn't even realize she had shed. "You shouldn't have come back here," he says sternly, but with an undercurrent of unexpected gentleness.

She leans against him, letting him hold her while she cries and cries, the images of the mirror poisoning her mind. (_TeddyTeddyTeddy_.) But after a while, her tears are all dried up, her mind frozen and blank, and all she can feel is Lorcan, with his strong arms around her, his heart beating steadily in her ear.

In his arms she can almost forget her broken (breaking) heart.

In his arms she can almost forget Teddy.

**A/N:** Haha I have no idea how Lorcan made his way into this, but what'd'ya know? Anyways, review and let me know what you thought. =]


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